Is your Bonanza battery box starting to look
soggy and soft from some nasty battery acid encounters over the years?
Are you hearing replacement box quotes in
excess of $500 or more?
Well, here is a repair made by N35 Bonanza
owner Paul S. to his soggy battery box that could be just what you're looking
for to get your box back into airworthy shape again.
Here are Paul's steps:
1. Removed battery box, soaked in baking-soda-saturated bucket
full of water overnight.
2. Sand blasted entire box
3. Used 2" fiberglass multidirectional weave and aero-poxy on
the bottom
4. Coated entire inside of box in thin coat aero-poxy painted
inside & out with acid-proof paint epoxy
Epoxy -
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/es6228.php
Fiberglass -
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cmpages/etapes.php
Paint -
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/blkfloatbtm.php
5.
Neutralize firewall area with water & baking soda solution then wash with water
Here are Paul's results:
So if your battery box is looking shabby,
consult with your mechanic on the "repair" potential and use that $500 or more
that you might have to shell out for a new or serviceable battery, to buy some
100LL and fly your airplane more!
Bill H. adds that going to a "sealed" battery
after your refurb will prevent the acid blues in the future. I have heard though
that the "sealed/RG" batteries require more regular usage/flying to maintain a
decent service life than the old school lead acid batteries. PS: Paul installed
the sealed battery after his refurb and reports flying his N35 every week.
Personally, I use a pair of the Concord
CB-25XC
lead acid batteries
and a
Marine Battery
maintainer/charger whenever I'm in the hangar tinkering and I have 4 years
now (4/2009) on these batteries with no sign of poor performance as yet.
Thanks again Paul for the battery box refurb contribution!
No hope of salvaging your Battery Box you say?
Well here is Stan's solution for
his 35-A33 Bonanza........he went the whole enchilada with a stainless steel
battery box from:
Hammock Aviation
Stan's plan is to go with a Concorde RG
battery and get himself an aviation Battery Minder while their
40% OFF
SPECIAL Trade Up Promo is underway.
A great CSOB move Stan!
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